If you have had a new water heater installed, you may notice the the water is very hot. Most water heater manufacturers set the thermostat to around 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In many cases this is too hot, and will waste energy. If there are young children or elderly residents in the home having the water temperature set too high also increases the risk of scalding. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t comfortably hold you hand under the tap with the hot water running it’s probably too hot.
So what temperature should you set your water heater to? In most case 120 degrees Fahrenheit is a good setting. This will save energy and reduce your utility bill. If you find that 120 degrees is not hot enough, try moving the thermostat up incrementally until you find a comfortable setting. During the winter months you may need to turn the temperature up a little to compensate for heat loss from colder pipes.
Have questions about hot water heaters? Call MR Plumbing, we’re experts at all kinds of water heaters, from tankless and hybrid to conventional tank models.
